Closure for boiler-headers



- V. L. EMERSON.

CLOSURE FOR BOILER HEADERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1919.

1,352,254. Patentedsept. 7, 1920.

Vicorfieefimerson.

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CLOSURE FOR BUZZER-HEADERS.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. '3', 1920.,

Original application filed may 8, 1919, Serial No. 295,541. Divided and this application filed November 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR LEE EMERSON, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Closures for Boiler-Headers, of which the following is a specification.

To obtain a close fit of the closures on the clean-out holes of the headers in boilers it has generally been found that the hole must be madeoval to permit the closing plate to be inserted and applied against the interior wall of the header. After insertion the plate must be partially rotated and clamped in close engagement with the inner wall b means of a yoke held against the outer wa l and bolted to the plate. The clamping of the surface of engagement of the plate with the inner wall is diflicult and uncertain. Due to the accumulation of dirt and scale it is a matter of considerable difiiculty to establish a fluid-tight connection between the closure plate and the wall. To adapt the header for double formof 'closure plate requires the machining of an oval hole and an oval form must be given to the closure plate.

My invention consists in the application of the closure plate to the outer sui'face of the wall and in a manner to insure a fluidtight fit regardless of the condition of the opening.

It is also an object of my invention to simplify the manufacture of these cleanout holes by constructing a circular opening rather than one of irregular shape. The manufacture and machining of round parts is obviously quicker, cheaper and more satisfactory in point of use.

It is a further object of my invention to insure engagement between the closure plate, the retaining means and the cooperating adjustment means by the use of an improved bolt. will be self-alining and self-centering, auto matically establishing firm engagement.

A further object of my invention resides in providing through the above mentioned means a device which will close properly in the event that the plane of the wall of the header and the flange of the header are not in parallel planes. 7

My invention has for further object the advantages resultant from the use of an improved gasket which is self-positioning By this means theparts 1919. Serial No. 335,562.

and remains in position special construction.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No."295,541, filed May 8, 1919.

Other features will'be apparent in my invention as set forth in the following descri tion and drawings in whichigure 1 is a vertical section through a boiler header and v Fig. 2 is a vertical view of my improvement.

The boiler header noted generally in the by reason of its drawings by the numeral 1 includes the rear wall 2. This wall is pierced to receive the tube 3 of the boiler. This tube is firmly fixed in the rear wall by means of welding or analogous agency 4. The rear wall may carry a large number of such tubes 3.

The front wall 5 of the header carries opposite each tube 3 a clean-out hole 6. This hole 6 is circular and conforms in size to the tube 3. The inner periphery of the hole 6 may be notched at diametrical points' as at 7. The outer wall of the opening 6 carries a circular flange 8 having a curved surface 9. A gasket 10 of copper or other analogous material is adapted to contact with the curved surface 9 of the flange 8. The inner periphery of the gasket is struck up .into a cylindrical flange member 11 which will slide snugly into the inner wall of the hole 6. In this manner the gasket may be placed upon the flange and will remain in position by reason of the member 11 contacting with the inner wall of the hole 6. The interior rim 11 moreover serves as additional means to prevent the escape of the fluid contained in the boiler.

A closure plate 12 is provided to fit over the opening 6. This closure plate has a plane surface 13. The plate is centrally recessed to provide a concave spherical surface for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Centrally of the plate is the circular opening 15. I

Of smaller diameter than the opening 15 and extending therethrough,'is the shank of the T-head bolt 16 with laterally extending extremities 17. These extremities 17 fit in the notches 7 of the wall 5 and serve to prevent the bolt 16 from rotation.

Due to the manner of casting such a header as is described above it will sometimes be found that the rear surface of the wall 5 will not be in a plane parallel to the plane of the machined surface 9 on the flange 8. I

It follows that the bolt will rest with its axis perpendicular to the inner surface of the wall 5 and for this reason various points on the extremities 17 may rest against the notches 7. I therefore preferably form the surfaces of the extremities 17 convexed to insure uniform engagement in the notches regardless of any. displacement which may be caused in the bolts position as a result of the flange 8 being inclined in its plane with respect to the plane of the rear surface of the wall. The opposite end of the bolt 16 is screwthreaded as at 18 to receive a cap nut 19. This nut has a spherical bearing surface 20 which cooperates with the spherical surface 14 on the closure plate 12. In this manner the nut 19 will serve to draw the plate 12 into position concentric with the bolt 16. At the same time the nut 19 will contact with the plate 12 on all sides irrespective of any inclination of the bolt from the position perpendicular to the plane surface 13. The periphery of the nut 19 is flattened as at 21 to provide means for rotating the nut, for instance with a wrench. The outer portion of the nut 19 is given the form of a cap 22 which prevents leakage of the fluid, around the screw-thread of the bolt.

The manufacture of the above described parts is rendered simple since all operations are in a plane or in spherical sur aces. The opening 6 being round contributes to ease of manufacture. In assemblin the above structure the T-head bolt 16 is in serted through the round opening and its extremities 17 brought into loose engagement with the notches 7 on the interior wall. The gasket 10 is placed around the bolt 16 and brought into engagement with the curved surface 9 of the flange 8. The gasket centers itself without further treatment and by virtue of the rim 11 remains fixed in position. The closure plate 12 may now be brought opposite the gasket and the nut 19 screwed upon the bolt. This brings the surface 20 in contact with the spherical surface 14 of the closure plate and serves to move the latter in a lateral direction until the spherical surfaces are in coincidence with good bearing contact. The closure plate conforms to the plane of the flange surface 9 by. the tilting movement around the spherical surface let. During this operation the bolt 16 and its extremities 17 have accommodated themselves in position against the notches 7 by reason of the convexed surfaces of the extremities 17.

It will be manifest that during the closing operation there is no relative rotation between the flange 8, the gasket 10 and the plate 12. Thus the plate is pressed directly against the gasket and compels a close fit. Since there is no rotary motion there is no tendency for the gasket to be stripped or forced out of posltion between the flange and plate.

The provision .of the machined engagement surfaces on the outside rather than within the header makes refacing simple an economical. It can be. accomplished by a cheap and simple tool, which in this type of closure need not guard against injury to screw-threads generally found on closure holes adapted to be closed by plugs.

As above assembled the closure plate is without departing from the spirit of my invention and it is to be understood that many changes may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention as de-' fined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a liquid vaporizer, a manifold comprising front and rear walls, the front walls having an externally flanged hand hole with oppositely disposed recesses inclined to the plane of said flange on the internal rim, a cap, a T-head bolt seated in said recesses and passing through said cap and having an adjustable engagement with said recesses and a nut on said bolt.

2. In a liquid vaporizer, a manifold comprising front and rear walls, the' front wall having a hand hole, and recesses oppositely disposed with respect to said hole and inclined with respect to the plane of said front wall, a cap therefor having a central aperture and a spherical bearing surface, a nut with a corresponding spherical bearing surface and a T-head bolt in said hand hole having an adjustable engagement with said recesses to hold the cap thereof. Y

3. A closure device for boiler hand holes comprising a T-headed bolt, having an adjustable engagement with the interior rim of the hole, a cap having a machined inner surface adapted to cooperate with a machined up-turned circular flange around the exterior of the hole, said cap having a central aperture through which said bolt. projects and free lateral movement with re spect to said flange and a cap nut threaded on said bolt to force the cap into engagement with the flange.

4. In a liquid vaporizer, a header-comprising front and rear walls, the front wall having a hand hole, a cap therefor having a universally movable engagement with said wall, means retaining the cap upon the external face of the wall and an internally flanged gasket seated between the wall and In a liquid vaporizer, a header having a wall provided with a hand hole, said wall having an outwardly projecting flange surrounding said hand hole, and a closure device for said hand hole, said closure device and flange, being so constructed as to have universally movable engagement with each other. i i

6. In a liquid vaporizer, a header having a wall provided with a hand hole, said wall having recesses in the inner face thereof intersecting said hand 'hole at an angle to.

the outer surface of said wall, a closure member for said hand hole, and a retaining member fors-aid closure'member, said retaining member being so constructed as to be received in and adjustable in said re cesses.

7. In a liquid vaporizer, a header having a wall provided with a hand hole, a flange on the outer face of said wall surroundingsaid .hand hole and having a curved outer face,

the inner face of said wall having recesses intersecting said hand hole, a closure member for said hand hole adapted to fit on the curved outer face of said flange, and a retaining member for said closure member so constructed as to be received 1n and ad justable in said recesses, said retaining -member and closure member bemgso constructed as to have adjustable and univerture and its head so constructed as to be received in and adjustable in said recesses, and a nut on the outer end of said T-shaped retaining member, said nut and closure member being so constructed as to have uni-- versal adjustment relative to each other.

9. In a liquid vaporizer, a header having a wall provided with a hand hole, said wall having an outwardly projecting flange surrounding said hand hole and having a curved outer face, aclosure member for said hand hole so constructed as to have universal adjustment with respect to said curved outer face of saidflange, and a gasket be-. tween said closure device and said curved outer face of'said flange.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set In hand. I

y VICTOR LEE EMERSON. 

